Article content When Warren Foegele went through his Meet The Media session two days after the Edmonton Oilers ’ Game 7 Stanley Cup Final loss, it was more like an exit interview. You could see it in his eyes, not just the crushing hurt of the 2-1 loss in Florida still weighing heavily but also the realization this was it for him as an Oiler after three seasons when he came here in a trade from Carolina for Ethan Bear. During the season there had been no substantive talks about a new deal for the 28-year-old unrestricted forward, even as he rolled to his NHL career-high 20 goals and 41 points.
Upsetting, but a business decision, and so five days after saying goodbye to the press here, he signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings ($3.5 million AAV), boldly crossing enemy lines after playing against the Kings in three straight first-round playoff series. The Oilers didn’t see a fiscal way to give Foegele, who played junior in Erie with Connor McDavid and was also coached by Kris Knoblauch there, a substantial raise over his $2.
75 million AAV because of their squeezed salary cap. He played with 97 and Leon Draisaitl, at times, and played well, but mainly he was a valuable third-line sidekick with Ryan McLeod. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go back.
I knew the direction they were going and I wasn’t part of their puzzle,” said Foegele, who will play against the Oilers for the first time Saturday afternoon in L.A., with 18 points (nine goals), all even str.
